The driver got out, walked over to open the door for Nyla, and said, "Ms. Kinsey, Madam asked me to pick you up and drop you off from now on."Recognizing the driver from Emerald's estate, Nyla pressed her lips together before replying, "I'm going to dinner with Andre tonight. Please take me to Tewel.""Of course, Ms. Kinsey," the driver replied.Soon, the car arrived at Tewel.Before getting out, Nyla told the driver, "I'll be having dinner with Andre for about two hours. You can find a place to eat in the meantime.""Alright, Ms. Kinsey," the driver answered.Once Nyla left the car, the driver immediately called Emerald. "Madam, Ms. Kinsey is having dinner with Mr. Quinnett tonight. I've dropped her off at Tewel, and they'll likely be eating for about two hours.""Understood. Keep an eye on her and let me know if anything unusual happens," Emerald instructed."Of course, Madam," the driver replied.…Emerald hung up and was about to set her phone down when it rang again.S
"Ms. Nixon," Filipe called out.Hearing his voice behind her, Delia turned around. She suppressed her anger and demanded, "Why didn't you leave any food for me?"Filipe, accustomed to Delia's temper, said calmly, "Ms. Nixon, after Madam learned you wouldn't be having dinner, she had all the leftovers thrown away. If you're hungry, you can have some biscuits or something to tide you over. Breakfast will be ready in the morning.""Tomorrow morning?!" Delia exclaimed.Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, Filipe nodded. "Yes, tomorrow morning."Delia sneered. "Fine, I get it."Ever since Nyla's arrival, Delia hadn't had a peaceful day. She had to find a way to get Nyla out of the estate—no matter what.…Nyla was chatting with Damon when she suddenly sneezed."Are you okay? Caught a cold? You didn't dress warmly enough today," he said, concerned.Nyla gave him a side glance and teased, "Wasn't it you who couldn't take your eyes off me when you saw me just now?""This dress does loo
Nyla stared at Emerald. "Don't forget, you promised I could visit my father anytime. Are you going back on your word again?"Emerald paused for a moment. "You can go after work, but not during office hours.""Fine. I'll go tomorrow evening." Nyla turned and left without another word.A flicker of something crossed Emerald's eyes while watching her go.Suddenly, her phone on the desk buzzed.Seeing the caller ID, she quickly answered. "Cortez, why are you calling me so late?"Cortez's cold voice came through the receiver. "Emerald, I just heard you sold that land in the south to the Bumards?!"Emerald's grip tightened around the phone. "How did you find out about that?""How I know is none of your concern. What matters is that you need to buy it back. If you don't, I won't support you anymore!" Cortez threatened.Cortez had supported Emerald's rise to power within the Nixons because she had promised to relocate them to the south.For years, the Nixons had longed for that move—
It was possible that even the fight between Brian and the Bumard member had been part of their plan.Emerald's expression darkened, and she ordered Filipe to bring Brian to her.A few minutes later, Brian timidly walked into the study. "Mom, what did you need?"Emerald glared at him. "How did you end up in a conflict with the Bumard member that day?"Brian winced, then cautiously asked, "Why are you suddenly asking about this? Did something happen?""Answer me!" Emerald barked."I had an argument with you that day, so I went to a bar. I met a woman there, and after having a few drinks with her, I was about to take her to a hotel. But when I got up to leave, that guy from the Bumards showed up..." Brian quickly confessed, terrified by her cold gaze."So, you had a fight because of that woman and ended up in a brawl?" Emerald asked.Brian hummed in confirmation, keeping his head down, too afraid to meet her gaze.Emerald sneered. "You really are an idiot. You don't even realize
Damn the Bumards!The more Brian thought about it, the angrier he became. He had to get revenge. But before he could do that, he needed to fix this situation first.After thinking for a long time, he contacted Alexander. "Alexander, I need your help."Alexander's voice came coldly from the other end of the line. "I'm afraid I can't help you. I'm barely managing to save myself."Ever since Emerald had said she was cutting ties with him, his father had also claimed he was disowning him. He had become like a rat that everyone wanted to chase away."Alexander, I really have no other choice. You're the only one I can turn to," Brian pleaded."I really can't help you," Alexander replied curtly and hung up.Brian called again, but the line was disconnected.He slammed his phone down on the bed and began pacing angrily around his room, but he couldn't think of a solution.In the end, he called Filipe into his room and asked him to find out where Alexander was. He was going to find him
Realizing that Alexander had no intention of helping him, Brian let out a cold laugh and stopped pleading. "Fine. Remember what you said today. Since you refuse to help us, from now on, we're enemies!"With that, he stood up and stormed out.Watching him leave, Alexander shook his head, sighed, and returned to his bedroom.Whatever had happened between them was no longer his concern, and he had no intention of getting involved further.…After storming out of Alexander's villa, Brian headed straight back to the estate. With Alexander refusing to help, Brian was left with no options for resolving the issue with the land in the south. Should he really go and beg the Bumards? The thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it almost immediately. Even if the Bumards were willing to return the land, they'd surely demand an exorbitant price.The mere thought of it made Brian's expression darken. That night, no one in the estate slept well, except Nyla. …The next morning, B
When George arrived, Emerald wasted no time. "George, Brian is heading south. You're going with him."Surprised, George asked, "Ms. Kinsey, what is Mr. Nixon going there for?""The land we bought in the south fell through. We need to find a new one. Brian doesn't know the players down there, so I need you to guide him."Do not provoke anyone. If you haven't found the right property within two weeks, come back immediately," Emerald instructed.George nodded. "Understood. I'll start preparing now.""I'll have tickets booked for you both for tomorrow morning," Emerald said."Got it, Ms. Kinsey," George replied.After George left, Brian returned to his room to pack. He and George headed to the airport after lunch....When Nyla arrived at the office that afternoon, Jenny approached her. "Ms. Kinsey, these are the design drafts from the team. Let me know if any of them match your vision. If not, I'll have them redone."Taking the stack of drafts, Nyla nodded. "Alright, I'll review
Robin Hiett let out a cold laugh. "She doesn't own any shares in Kajer anymore. Why would I go to her?"The idea of Emerald transferring all her shares to her daughter without consulting the shareholders—and appointing her as CEO—seemed absurd to him.What could this clueless girl possibly know? Aside from running the company into the ground, what other skills did she have?Jenny's expression grew serious. "It doesn't matter if you're upset with Ms. Kinsey. She now holds the largest share of the company, making her the rightful successor to Ms. Emerald as Kajer's CEO.""Did Emerald hold a meeting about this? Did any of us shareholders agree?" Robin sneered. "I demand a shareholder meeting and a vote! There's no way I'll let a woman who knows nothing about business run Kajer!"The conversation was in Meristate's native language, but Nyla understood every word.She spoke calmly to Robin. "You can call for a shareholder meeting, but it won't change the fact that I hold the majority
"I'm not doing anything special. What's up? Aren't you supposed to be in a business meeting? How do you have time to call me?" Valarie asked.Brandon replied, "It's all taken care of. My flight is tonight. Want to meet up?"Valarie raised an eyebrow. "What time will you be back in Saintornia?""A little after 11:00 p.m.," Brandon answered.Valarie shook her head. "That's too late. You've been on a business trip for almost a week. You should just go home and rest."Brandon chuckled. "But I really want to see you. How about this? I'll have my driver stop by your place. We can see each other briefly, and then I'll head home. Sound good?"Valarie considered it. His route home would pass by her neighborhood anyway. "Alright. Just call me when you're close. I'm about to have dinner, so I'll talk to you later. Bye.""Okay," Brandon replied.After hanging up, Valarie entered the restaurant.Stefan had reserved a private dining room, and by the time she arrived, he was already inside.
Michelle hung up after delivering her threat.Stefan stood frozen, his body tense with despair.No matter what he did, it seemed he could never truly escape the Snowdens.If it weren't for them, he wouldn't be able to pay for his mother's treatment. Yet, they were the people he hated most. He despised them.He also despised his mother, Lily. If she had never given birth to him, he wouldn't be trapped in this nightmare, stuck in the mud with no way out.And yet… she was the only person who had ever shown him kindness.That fragile thread of family—thin and fraying—still tugged at his heart, holding him back. Even though it hurt, he couldn't bring himself to sever it.…Valarie had just returned home when her mother called her over. She changed into her house slippers and sat beside her."Valarie, when are you and Brandon getting married?" Phoebe asked.Valarie frowned. "Mom, we haven't even discussed that yet.""You're not getting any younger." Phoebe huffed. "You rejected every guy we
The two of them were eight years apart, with different interests and personalities.Some of Stefan's behavior struck Valarie as incredibly immature. But more importantly, she had never seen him in a romantic light.To her, he was more like a younger brother—someone she felt protective of, but not someone she could ever like that way.He should be dating girls his own age, and she should get back to living her own life.With that thought, Valarie accepted the money.Valarie: [Thank you for everything these past few weeks. And… I'm sorry about today.]…Stefan stared at the message on his screen in a quiet park, his lips curling into a mocking smile.Just as Brandon had said—Valarie had only been using him as a distraction. Now that she was back with Brandon, she'd discarded him without hesitation.Taking a deep breath, he deleted the chat and didn't reply.They had always been from different worlds. Now, things were simply returning to how they had been before.Still, he coul
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Valarie cut Brandon off, her gaze sharp with accusation.Brandon hesitated, caught off guard for a moment.After a brief pause, he nodded. "Yes, I did. Because I don't like how much attention you're giving Stefan. If it had been any other server handling the bill, would you still be questioning me like this?""There's no 'if.' I chose to be with you again, which means I'm not holding onto anything with Stefan. So, there's no reason for you to single him out," Valarie replied.Brandon's expression darkened slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then held back. "Alright. I understand.""Good. Let's go home," Valarie said, and the car fell into silence.When they finally arrived at the Weir residence, Brandon broke the quiet. "Valarie, don't you think… things between us aren't the same anymore?"They were supposed to be a couple, yet they tiptoed around each other—testing boundaries, afraid to say the wrong thing.Valarie pressed her l
"Alright. I'm about to board. I'll talk to you later," Nyla said.Valarie replied, "Okay, have a great trip."After hanging up, Nyla turned to Damon and Mason, her eyes glowing with happiness.She had dreamed for so long of taking a family trip together. Now, that dream had finally come true.…Valarie and Brandon walked into the restaurant.As they sat down, a server approached with two glasses of water."Good evening, sir, ma'am—" Before the server could finish, his smile faltered.Valarie hadn't expected to see Stefan here. A flicker of surprise crossed her face.Just as she was about to speak, Stefan quickly regained his composure, adopting his usual polite smile. "Good evening. May I take your order? We just received fresh salmon and sea urchin today. I highly recommend trying them."Brandon raised an eyebrow, a faint hint of mockery in his gaze. "We'll take your recommendations. And add an order of Arctic shrimp sashimi as well.""Certainly, sir. Would you like anythin
Michelle frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? I already told my assistant to handle it.""Then why was my mom kicked out of her hospital room in the middle of the night?" Stefan shot back.Michelle's voice grew cold. "Forget about that. I should be asking you. Besides taking a few staged photos with Valarie, have you made any real progress?""What more do you want?" Stefan asked.She smirked. "I want something that will completely ruin her. You know what to do.""Send me 250,000 dollars for medical expenses first, or I'm done doing your dirty work," Stefan demanded.Michelle let out a mocking laugh. "Stefan, you know I can have your mother thrown out of the hospital for good with a single word, right?"He had no right to threaten her.Stefan retorted, "Oh, I believe you. But if you do that, I'll make sure the whole world knows everything you made me do. When that happens, Brandon will never want anything to do with you again.""You!" Michelle clenched her jaw, her fa
"Yeah, I just got home. How's your mother doing now?" Valarie asked."Her condition is stable. Veevee… I need to ask you something," Stefan said.A flicker of surprise crossed Valarie's eyes. "What is it?"There was a brief silence before Stefan spoke again. "Never mind, it's nothing important. Get some rest. Goodnight."Before Valarie could respond, he had already hung up.She set her phone down, deciding to invite Stefan out for dinner in the next few days and have an honest conversation with him.…After the surgery, Michelle remained unconscious for a full day before finally waking up.The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Jayden sitting by her bedside."Michelle! You're awake!" Jayden exclaimed, relief flooding his voice as he quickly pressed the call button for the doctor.Once the doctor confirmed she was out of danger, Jayden exhaled deeply."Michelle, do you have any idea what I went through while you were unconscious? Please, don't ever do something so reckless a
The moment Brandon spoke, silence blanketed the room.Yale and Nolan both looked visibly uneasy.Jayden froze for a second, then his face twisted with disappointment. "Fine! From now on, we're strangers!"With that, he shoved Nolan aside and stormed toward the hospital entrance.Nolan frowned and turned to Brandon. "Brandon, Jayden was just upset. Did you really have to make it so final? How are you going to fix things later?""I don't plan to fix anything. Because of him and Michelle, Valarie and I fought countless times. Do you really think I should sacrifice my girlfriend for two so-called friends?" Brandon retorted.Seeing the indifference in his expression, Nolan suddenly regretted sending that message earlier. If he hadn't texted Brandon about Valarie being with another guy, none of this would have happened."I'm heading home," Brandon said before turning to Valarie, taking her hand, and leading her out of the hospital.Watching them leave, Nolan felt a surge of frustrati
A cold gust of wind blew through, and Brandon felt his heart sink.From the moment he first laid eyes on Valarie, he had made up his mind—he had to be with her, to marry her.He had pursued her for five years. They had finally gotten together, only to break up soon after.He had tried everything to win her back, but no matter what he did, she only seemed to drift further away.Was it really impossible for them to be together?"Valarie, you told me to stay away from Michelle for a month, and I did."Tonight, Jayden called to say that Michelle tried to commit suicide and is in the hospital being resuscitated. I still didn't go see her."I know I made a lot of mistakes before, but I've been trying to change. Can you give me one more chance?" he pleaded.Valarie remained silent for a long time. She knew she still had feelings for Brandon. When she met his pleading gaze, she felt herself softening.Finally, she looked at him and nodded. "Alright, but this is the last chance I'm giv